


A Different Kind of Strength

by beautifulterriblequeen



Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: Ethari and Claudia kind of bond, Ethari has a mission, Ethari is best dad, Gen, Lux Aurea, Timeskip - Claudia's hair is white, Timeskip - Lux Aurea is a war zone, Timeskip - Runaan is free with a prosthetic, bonding over bad jokes, enemies to understanding but still enemies, just some nice relating to each other in the middle of a war zone no big, we love who we love, what is it with white hair and chains
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-21
Updated: 2019-12-21
Packaged: 2021-02-25 20:35:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,036
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21881638
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beautifulterriblequeen/pseuds/beautifulterriblequeen
Summary: Runaan sneaks Ethari into Lux Aurea to meet up with the Sunfire resistance and help them repair the Sunforge. But things go awry and they're separated, and Ethari is captured and chained by the daughter of the man who imprisoned his husband. And Claudia's come to Lux Aurea with a mission of her own.
Relationships: Ethari & Claudia, Ethari/Runaan (The Dragon Prince), Viren & Claudia
Comments: 3
Kudos: 86





	A Different Kind of Strength

The white-haired mage didn’t notice that Ethari had woken. She sat and stared out the golden window frame in one of the thousands of gleaming dwellings that dotted the Sunfire city of Lux Aurea. Ethari could see the faint reddish light from the poisoned Sunforge glistening on her cheeks. If only he’d been faster. Or stealthier. Or… luckier. But his attempt to meet up with the Sunfire resistance and repair the Sunforge had failed before it could begin.

_I suppose that’s what happens when you sneak right past the house where the dark mage is also hiding and planning her own schemes._

He studied the girl. She couldn’t be much older than Rayla. But there was nothing natural about her long white hair—and he wasn’t counting the purple dye that clung to its tips. But her expression was young, wistful. Ethari’s brows drew down. How could a child be guilty of the rumors that swirled around her?

The resistance outside the city said she’d killed several Sunfire infiltration squads on her way in. And a couple of human ones, too. With Lux Aurea divided into quarters and partly occupied by rebel humans, its streets full of clashes between Sunfires and Katolans, no one could get in or out without being intercepted by one side or the other. The Sunfires outside the city had turned to Runaan for help: if they could sneak into the city and repair the Sunforge, they could expel the invaders and take it back. It wouldn’t even be much of a fight.

Runaan could get into Lux Aurea. But he couldn’t repair the Sunforge. So he had turned to Ethari.

_Can you fix it?_

_I don’t know. I’ll need to meet up with the resistance and do some research._

_Then I’ll get you inside._

Claudia had infiltrated the city just hours before Runaan and Ethari were scheduled to slip in, but Ethari couldn’t delay his own rendezvous—Runaan had spent a week setting it up. And so Ethari had let his husband lead him into the city, knowing that somewhere within lay a desperate dark mage.

But a ragged gang of furious humans had managed to split them up just inside the outer wall. Runaan had kissed Ethari hard and told him to run for his rendezvous—said he’d be waiting for him at the exit point—and thrown himself out in front of the invaders.

There had only been six of them. Ethari knew Runaan would be just fine. The former assassin had adjusted to his prosthetic over the past year and was as proficient with his weapons now as he’d ever been.

He’d be just fine. He would.

But then Ethari had dashed past Claudia on his way to the Sunforge resistance fighters.

And Ethari was _not_ fine.

Neither, it seemed, was Claudia. A tear ran down her cheek, and she swiped at it. “I’m coming, Dad. I’ll find you.”

Ethari blinked in the dimness, careful not to rattle the chains that bound his wrists. Her desperate attempt to enter Lux Aurea finally made sense. Viren, abandoned and broken, had been captured months ago and brought into the city. His presence—anywhere, not just in Lux Aurea—fueled most of the conflict between the humans and the elves, and he was constantly moved from quarter to quarter to avoid being found by the human forces. But now Claudia had come for him. A dark mage with a head full of fresh atrocities, seeking one whose head had been full of them for decades.

Ethari shivered. So many people were about to die, and they probably didn’t even know it.

And then there was the darker connection between him and this young mage: Claudia’s father had bespelled Runaan into that accursed coin. And when he’d come out, he wasn’t the same anymore. A darkness passed across Ethari’s soul as he felt the sharp edges of his hatred cut into him.

_No. my anger always bleeds me first, but it bleeds others dry. I’m not doing that with a child._

“You’ve come for your father, then,” he murmured.

Claudia whipped her head around and scooted back on the bench beneath the window. One hand rose defensively—or offensively—toward him, looking crowded with that fifth finger. “You stay back, elf.”

Ethari scooted back himself, sitting up and leaning against the wall. His wrists protested his chains, which were very tight. “I won’t hurt you.”

“No, you won’t. I won’t let you.” Her green eyes looked oddly dark in the reddish light from the poisoned Sunforge.

“I mean, I’m not going to try,” Ethari stated.

“You’d better not, if you know what’s good for you. If you’re cooperative, I’ll let you live—for now. I might need you later. But then again… I might _not_. So don’t go thinking you can bargain your way out of this. You’re my prisoner, and I’m not letting you go. A random Moonshadow elf might be exactly what I need to pull this off.”

 _Random?_ Ethari blinked once. “You… You don’t know who I am, do you?”

Claudia’s lip curled with disgust. “I don’t consort with filthy elves. How should I know who you are?”

Ethari seriously considered not telling her. But something in his gut told him that this was no time for illusion. “Do you remember the leader of the Moonshadow assassins, the one who took King Harrow?”

Claudia’s expression didn’t flicker. “Tall, really grumpy, pretty hair cuffs?”

“He’s my husband, Runaan.”

“What?” Claudia reassessed Ethari with a full-body glance. “What do you mean ‘he _is_ my husband’? He died over a year ago!”

Ethari couldn’t help smiling as he replied, “He didn’t. Your father cursed him into a coin. He trapped him in a shadow realm. Before your father was captured and brought here, we managed to take the coins from him and free Runaan and the others he’d trapped. He’s been home with me for over a year. But I spent months thinking he was dead, and then months more finding a way to free him from that prison. So…” he looked at Claudia intently, and she flinched, but when he spoke again, his voice was gentle, “…I know what it feels like to yearn for someone. For family. And not to be with them.”

Claudia blinked and stared at him for a moment. When her gaze lowered, she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “That’s not what I expected you to say.”

“I can be surprising like that,” Ethari offered. “Runaan’s a difficult person to understand and get close to. I think your father and he are similar that way. But you and I, we love them dearly. Unconditionally. No matter what they may do, what darkness lies in their souls, they are our family. Our heart. Is that how it feels for you, too?” Ethari prompted.

Claudia wouldn’t meet his eyes for a long time. She shrugged and looked out the window. “He’s just doing what he thinks is right. That can’t be wrong, can it?”

Ethari felt some of his tension leave his shoulders. She was listening. And that’s what he wanted to do, too. “Runaan used to have perfect faith in his purpose as an assassin. He believed deep in his heart that what he was doing was for the best. That his dark deeds served Xadia, and that one day they would bring peace. But he’s realized that not much in this world is as black and white as it seems. And let me tell you, that’s a hard lesson for a Moonshadow to learn. We crave black and white. It’s right there in the name: _Moonshadow_.” He offered Claudia a tiny smile and a genial tip of his horns.

To his surprise, she snorted with laughter. “Is that what passes for _light_ elf humor?” she shot back.

He couldn’t help the burst of amusement that left his mouth. “I knew you’d get that one. You’ve got a head for Moonshadow jokes.”

“What?” Claudia blinked and looked up as if she could see her own head. She seemed to remember that her hair was white in that instant, though. Her eyes widened, and for a moment, Ethari was afraid he’d ruined the tiny bit of camaraderie he’d built with her. But then she fell into gales of laughter, holding her stomach and bending forward, laughing until she cried.

Ethari chuckled along with her, pleased and relieved that he’d managed to reach her at all. She seemed so… lonely. And she’d broken into Lux Aurea without allies. Did she have anyone waiting outside the city for her, or was she truly on her own, seeking the one family member who hadn’t quite abandoned her?

“Oh, wow,” she said when she could finally talk again, “Soren would’ve appreciated that joke so much. Mostly because it would’ve taken him five minutes to get it. Do you… know my brother? Is he okay?”

Ethari nodded gently. “He’s well. He misses you, too. Even after your battle across the Winding River last spring.”

“Well,” Claudia shot back, “now I _know_ you’re lying. After everything we said to each other that day…”

“No,” Ethari reassured her, “it’s true. He only wants you to listen to him, because he still cares about you. You’re still family, Claudia. I know what that’s like, too.”

“You have a brother who betrayed your family?” Claudia asked sarcastically.

“I have a husband and an adopted daughter who used to be like two peas in a pod. They fell out, hard, and it tore us all apart.”

“…Oh. The assassin husband again? The one you said is like my dad? Well, he and I never fell out.”

“Didn’t you?” Ethari lifted his dark brows. “You’ve been traveling Xadia without him since shortly after the Battle of the Storm Spire.”

“That’s not the same thing! He had his own quest to undertake! Aara— There were reasons— _good_ reasons—why we had to part.”

Ethari blinked. “I’m sure there were. But Viren failed his quest months ago. And you’ve only come for him today. Why is that?”

Claudia glanced away. “You wouldn’t understand.”

“May I guess?”

Her reply was an undignified snort, but Ethari took it as permission.

He took a slow breath and tried to ignore how his hands were going tingly inside the tight grip of Claudia’s chains. “You had what felt like a more urgent loyalty. Not a deeper affection, not a stronger bond. Just something that seemed like it couldn’t wait. Something you couldn’t ignore without losing something vital. For yourself, perhaps, but also for people you cared about.”

Claudia narrowed her gaze. “Okay, you gotta stop doing that. Are Moonshadow elves psychic or something? Maybe if I use part of your—”

“Nope,” Ethari cut her off before she could get too graphic. “Just my husband again. That’s how he felt when he accepted his mission to Katolis way back when. I was worried. I always worry, but I actually considered asking him to say no this time.”

One of claudia’s white brows popped in suspicious surprise. “Wait… really? I thought all you elves were bloodthirsty, creepy monsters. Why would you try to talk him out of killing a human king?”

Ethari sighed. He’d thought many a day about those last hours before Runaan had left for Katolis. “Everything suddenly felt too big, too real. Like the world was running away into danger, all of it at once, and it was going to take Runaan with it. And you know what? It did.”

Claudia smirked at him. “Then maybe you should’ve said something. Maybe he shouldn’t’ve come at all.”

Ethari heard the pride in her voice and he let it pass. “Maybe not. Your father was cruel to him. But he was cruel to himself, as well, and he didn’t need to be. I bet there are things your father’s done to himself that he didn’t need to, either.”

Claudia’s silence was her confirmation. It was a language Ethari knew well from his years with Runaan.

A sudden thought blossomed in his mind like a lotus. “What if…” he blurted.

“What if what?”

Ethari scrambled for a solid idea to support his sudden offer. _What would Runaan say?_ “What if we made a deal? You and I.”

Claudia’s snort ripped through the quiet of the upstairs room. “You couldn’t possibly—”

“I’ll help you free your father.”

Her laugh was liltingly disbelieving. “You’re a really bad liar.”

“If,” Ethari added smoothly, “you’ll give me a promise in return.”

Claudia blew a loud raspberry of disbelief. “You’ve gotta be kidding me.”

“What’s the matter? You don’t think you’re as honorable as a Moonshadow elf?” Ethari teased lightly.

The dark mage rolled her eyes. “You guys don’t even know the meaning of the word. How can you talk about honor when all you do is trick and cheat?”

Ethari shrugged and grinned at her. “It’s almost as if there’s some sort of duality at work, isn’t there? How about this, then. If I break my word, you can kill me.”

“Oh, I was going to do that anyway.”

Such dark words from a young girl didn’t disturb Ethari, but knowing the horrible way in which Claudia would kill him _did_. He sighed and focused again. “It sounds like you don’t want to rescue your father as much as you made it seem. If you don’t want my help, then you might as well kill me now. I won’t offer again, not with what you’ve got planned for me.”

Claudia studied him sharply. Slowly, her head tipped to the side as the gears began to turn in her head. “Alright, elf. What promise do you want from me?”

“If I give you something to help you free your father, you have to promise me not to kill anyone in Lux Aurea while you use it. No dark magic at all. Promise me that, Claudia, and I’ll let you free your father.”

Claudia’s eyes raked across Ethari. “What could you possibly give me? I searched you after I captured you. You’re not carrying anything.”

Ethari felt the Moon pulsing in his mind. “But _you_ are.” He tossed an illusion toward Claudia.

Her wrists clinked with illusory chains, bound together as his were, and the room around her faded to a dim, dank stone, as Runaan had reluctantly described his cell in Katolis castle. The sight of her white-haired form hunched and chained sent an unholy shiver down Ethari’s spine. He had imagined Runaan trapped and imprisoned a thousand times, but it had never felt quite as real as it did when he looked at Claudia in that moment.

“What? What is this? Let me go!” she demanded.

Ethari had meant to, he truly had. But suddenly, he couldn’t. Not yet. “Runaan’s free now,” he said. “But in some ways, he’s never left that dungeon. He carries it with him. It’s a part of who he is, now. And some days, it’s far too easy for him to fall right back into it. But, Claudia. _You’re_ in your father’s dungeon, too. You walked in years ago, didn’t you, and you have never walked out again. Just another white-haired prisoner in chains. I hope you can find your way free of them someday. Not because you should _hate_ him. But because you _love_ him.”

His illusory chains vanished from her wrists. She stared at her hands for a long moment, and then she lifted her eyes to meet his. “What are you saying?”

Ethari felt his heart go out to her—she wasn’t ready for the full truth yet. But if she didn’t darken her soul further today, maybe she still might be ready someday. “I can enchant you a device that will let you find your father and get him out. If you’re quiet and careful, no one will see you or ever learn you’ve been there until you’re out of the city. And that’s something we both want.”

Claudia leaned forward, dark eyes pinning him with sharp focus. “Is it? Why would you help me?”

“I’m helping Lux Aurea.”

The dark mage squinted. “You think I haven’t been paying attention? Everything you’ve said has been an attempt to connect with me. Why?”

But Ethari didn’t want to hide his plan from her. “Because I don’t think you have anyone to connect with, Claudia. Not without your father. But you need someone. You need _him_. Just like I need Runaan. I know exactly how you feel without that one anchor in your life. I got mine back. You deserve to get yours. But you have to promise me. No killing.”

“Not even for humanity?” Claudia joked.

Ethari pointed clumsily to his horns with his hands bound.

“Right, right. Not human. Okay, uhm… Okay. You show me what you can make, elf—” Claudia paused abruptly. “You said your husband’s name was Runaan. So… what’s your name?”

Ethari’s smile was dazzling. “I’m Ethari. Trees to meet you.”

Claudia blinked. “What? Is that some kind of elf greeting?”

Ethari’s shoulders slumped. “…Apparently. I’ll make you my enchanted device, and I’ll show you how it works. And then?”

“Then,” Claudia continued, “I promise I will sneak my father out of the city, and no one will die. And,” she added as an afterthought, “I’ll let you go, too.”

Ethari offered her a generous smile, as well as his chained wrists. “Then I’m ready when you are.”

***

Runaan and Ethari reached the cliff outside Lux Aurea just as the Sunforge’s light reignited atop its tower with a clear golden light. Runaan held Ethari’s hand and tugged him up the last step, and they turned and faced the city. The Sun Nexus blossomed across the sky, and the unnatural reddish darkness that had blanketed Lux Aurea for more than a year finally lifted, painting the sky with rose and honey.

Ethari squeezed his hand and drew him close. He cupped Runaan’s cheek and pressed a soft, heartfelt kiss against his husband’s lips before pulling him in for a hard hug. “I missed you.”

Runaan’s smile was soft and warm. “And I you. No one was hurt?”

“Not a soul.”

Runaan kissed him again. “Well done, my heart.”


End file.
